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The original vision for Microsoft’s Xbox One wasn’t just to create an awesomely powerful gaming console. It was to design a full home entertainment system; a hub for the living room. That vision is now one step closer, thanks to the release of the wicked-cool Xbox One TV Tuner.
Sure, the console already has native apps for Sky and Netflix, amongst others. But now those who don’t subscribe to Virgin Media and Sky can whip out their coaxial aerial and pop it into the TV Tuner in order to watch FreeView. The EPGs for Sky and Virgin are already supported, but now anyone can now take full advantage of Xbox’s OneGuide – a neat visual TV guide which can be controlled using Kinect (or a controller, if you prefer not talking to your TV to change channels).
The Xbox TV Tuner also allows users to pause or rewind live TV – it saves up to 30 minutes of TV to the Xbox’s hard-drive. That’s something Sky + subscribers have been able to do for a while now, so it’s nice to let the other side give it a bash too. Thanks to the HDMI-in port at the back of the Xbox, you can still hook up your digital box to the console. But the TV Tuner allows those who haven’t got that bit of kit to watch television too.
It gets even better though. Want to watch TV on your tablet or phone? Download the Xbox Smartglass app, and – wouldn’t you know it – that’s a thing now. That means if someone wants to game on the console itself, you can still keep watching your favourite shows. Or maybe you are a gamer, but you’re still greedy for televisual treats? In that case, just snap the TV to the side of your screen and do both at the same time.
With another update due in November, Microsoft are signalling that, despite a rocky start, their vision for the games console is still on course. A hub where everyone can gather and argue about what they want to use the Xbox for. The Xbox TV Tuner is retailing for around £25, which is a steal considering what this little black box of tricks can do.
However you’re watching TV though, you’ll need a great television to watch it on. Check out our website for the latest deals on our cheap LED TV range, or contact us on 0121 327 3273 for more information on our stock.
